Agenda item
2017/00701/OUT - Hybrid application comprising: Outline planning application (with matters of appearance, landscaping, layout, scale and details of internal circulation routes reserved) for the development on a phased basis of 32ha of employment land for business/industrial uses (Use Classes B1, B2, B8). The development shall include: landscaping, parking, associated infrastructure, utilities, drainage (including SUDS) and ground engineering works; and Full planning application for Phase 1 Ground Engineering works, and details of means of access to the site from the A4023 - Redditch Gateway, Land Adjacent to the A4023, Coventry Highway, Redditch, Worcestershire - Redditch Gateway Infrastructure Ltd
Minutes:
Officers provided updates on Additional Conditions, Procedure, Condition 12 (Construction Environmental Management Plan) which outlined the permitted hours for demolition/construction, additional comments received from Warwickshire County Council Ecology, 11 additional comments received from third party representations raising objections to the application, a representation from Councillor A. Pulsford, Redditch Borough Council and a representation from Beoley Parish Council, as detailed in the published Update Report, copies of which were provided to the Committee and public gallery prior to commencement of the meeting.
At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. C. Eden and Mr. M. Burke, residents, addressed the Committee objecting to the Application. Mr. R. Wells, the Applicant’s agent, also addressed the Committee.
The Committee then considered the Application which Officers had recommended for approval. Members expressed concerns and sought clarification on various issues, which included matters relating to: the height of the buildings, HGV routing plan, retaining the setting of the listed building - Gorcott Hall, biodiversity loss, potential changes being made to the application at a later stage, and the period of time, 15 years, which the £200,000.00 bond would be retained for.
The Council’s Principal Planning Officer and the County’s Highways Officer provided clarification with regard to Members concerns and questions and in doing so, explained that any remaining combined biodiversity loss would be compensated via biodiversity offsetting.
Members were informed that the building heights would be restricted to between 9m and 21m above the development plateau ground level and that the lower buildings would be sited at sensitive locations in relation to existing surrounding development. It was also agreed during pre-application discussion that the buildings do not exceed a certain height in order to ensure that the setting of Gorcott Hall was protected; as detailed on page 179 in the main agenda report. Officers had worked with Historic England and conservation officers from Bromsgrove District Council and Stratford on Avon District Council to ensure maximum protection to Gorcott Hall.
An HGV routing plan had been devised to reduce HGV routing through sensitive areas and had been accepted in principle by both Highway Authorities. Whilst the VISSIM Model had not been reviewed, the results indicated that the proposed development would have minimal impact in queues and journey times on the surrounding network. Highways England had agreed with the conclusions of the modelling and Worcestershire County Council had requested a financial contribution towards a wider improvement scheme.
The Council’s Head of Planning and Regeneration informed the Committee that the hybrid application was being detailed in its entirety, but each of the three authorities were being ask to consider their own administrative area and jurisdiction. The proposed development included land within three Local Planning Authority (LPA) boundaries; whilst some of the recommended conditions would be common to all three areas; each authority would be responsible for enforcement of any planning conditions imposed that related to specific areas of the development or issues which were confined or unique to particular parts of the site within the particular LPA, should planning permission be granted by each LPA.
Members were reassured that should there be any substantial amendments or changes to the application, the usual planning process, consultation and advertisement, would commence and a report would be brought back to Planning Committee Members for consideration.
Following further discussion with regard to the £200,000.00 to be paid on first occupation and held for a period of 15 years from its receipt in the form of a bond, it was
RESOLVED that, authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services to grant planning permission subject to:
A. The Applicant entering into a suitable legal mechanism to secure the following:
1. £200,000.00 to be paid on first occupation and held for a period of 15 years from its receipt OR until 12 months after the last premises was occupied, whichever was sooner; and
2. Biodiversity offset scheme for each phase of development and biodiversity monitoring contribution; and
B. Conditions as set out in summary form* as detailed on pages 206 to 209 in the main agenda report;
1. With updated condition 12 regarding the Construction Environmental Management Plan (hours of working during the demolition/construction stage); and
2. The inclusion of the 3 year time limit for the full application.
*Officers have delegated authority to agree the final wording of the conditions in conjunction with Stratford on Avon District Council, Redditch Borough Council, the Applicant and the Head of Planning and Regeneration, Bromsgrove District Council.
Supporting documents:
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